Method and apparatus for the forming of a long workpiece

ABSTRACT

Apparatus and method for forming a long workpiece in which one end of the workpiece is disposed between upper and lower forming saddles while the other end is inserted into a tiltably suspended rotatable gripper. The workpiece is rotated following each forming step and bending of the workpiece is thus avoided.

United States Patent Bachmann 1 Oct. 15, 1974 [5 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE 2,811,881 11/1957 Westling 72 420 FORMING 0 A LONG WORKPIECE 3,126,770 3/1964 Wuppermann 72/420 3,129,616 4/1964 Bell, Jr 72/420 Inventor: gorst Bachmann, Rodental, 3,209,578 10/1965 M01181 72/422 ermany 3,274,819 9/1966 Knowles 72/421 3,427,853 2/1969 Thomas 72/420 [73] Assgnee- Langenstem Schema 3,563,081 2 1971 Lindcrs 72/377 Aktlengesellschaft, Coburg, Germany FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 7 429,708 3 1925 Germany 72/420 [22] 1972 892,216 3/1962 Great Britain 7'2/420 [21] Appl. No.: 235,057

Primary Examiner-Charles W. Lanham Assistant ExaminerM. J. Keenan [30] Forelgn Application Pmmty Data Attorney, Agent, or Firm-H0lman & Stern Mar. 17, 1971 Germany 2112643 I [52] US. Cl. 72/420 [57] ABSTRACT: 51 1111.01 B21j 13/10 ,Appaiatusfind method for formmg a l workpiece [58] Field 0fSearch..1 v72/420, 422, 287, 37 7, whlch one end of the Workplace deposed 72/378 tween upper and lower fonnmg saddles while the 4 other end is inserted into a tiltably suspended rotat- [56] vReferences Cited able gripper. The workpiece is rotated following each UNITED STATES PATENTS forming step andbending of the workpiece is thus avoided. 1,783,797 12/1930. Klein 72/420 2,314,686 3/1943 Brosius 72 420 2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures movable forming saddle. The instant invention concerns also an apparatus for performing the method.

If one permits one end of the workpiece to freely extendbeyond the lower forming saddle during the forming of a long workpiece, e.g., the frontal axle of a'truck, this will not only complicate the transport of said workpiece between the two forming phases, but it could cause the extending-endpiece to bend to any one side during the forming process. If the workpiece is rotatable at one end around an axis which is perpendicular to the longitudinal :extent of the workpiece, i.e., tiltable, but is otherwise fixedly and immovably arranged, this will also result in the bending of the workpiece after each forming phase. 5

PRIOR ,ART

In order to prevent such a disadvantage, in prior art methods (lndustrie-Anzeiger {Industrial Journal] ,No. 84, of Oct. 6, 1970, pp. 2,017 to 2,02l) a workpiece was gripped'at both ends in such a way as to permit it to move downwards over its entire length'rectangular to its longitudinal extent. To permit a lowering during the gripping of both ends of the workpiece, which is necessary in the prior art method, is considered tobe very uneconomical. 1 In the above-cited prior art, afurther device is disclosed which comprises'a press, a manipulator at one side of the press, and asupport means at the other side of the press in which the press is equipped with a fixedly attached lowersaddle and a movably arranged upper saddle, and wherein the manipulatoris provided witha rod which is suspended therefrom so as to be tiltable and rotatable. In such a device, the bending of a workpiece can .beavoided if the gripper is arranged so that it cannot be tilted but can be lowered, and, in that also the support means is arranged in a manner to enable thelowering of sat'ne. i

.It is within the scope'of the present invention to provide a method of the above-mentioned'type' in which one end of theworkpiece is tiltably arranged so that a bending of the workpiece is avoided, without the need measured in a manner so that the workpiece is corrected downwardly in all stress-directions. The present invention provides, in addition, a device having a press, a manipulator arranged at one side of the press, and a support means at the other side of the press, whereby the press is provided with a lower saddle which is fixedly arranged, and 'a-movably arranged upper saddle, and the manipulator is equipped with a tiltably suspended rotatable gripper which rotates in the same direction after each forming phase, and

wherein a control plate is attached to each'forming saddle at the side of the press opposite the gripper;

the forming saddle is parallelly moveddownward during the forming, then a bend develops in the workpiece between the forming saddle and the gripper at the height o'f'the forming saddle. This bend, however, is

constantly corrected when the workpiece, straightened after each forming process, is rotatedaround a respective angle. The bending is caused because the gripper does not permit-aparallel displacement of the work- -'piece axis as a result of the tiltable arrangement.

it is now possible that the endof the workpiece behind the forming saddle will also bend during the shaping due to certain influencingfactors, i.e., asymmetric forming saddles. This workpiece end, preferably, is

provided with raw measurements over its entire length,

whereby the'forward feed during the forming at the gripper side is made away from the press. Since the end of the bent workpiece behind theforming saddle cannot be corrected because of the equiaxial rotation, control plates are therefore arranged at this side. Thus the lower control plate, as well as the lowerforming saddle, is thereby fixedly arranged, while the upper control plate together with the upper stretching saddle is upwardly anddownwardly movably arranged. The control the respectively bent workpiece isCorrectedJThe minimum distance of the two plates develops at the moment when the forming saddles have reached the largest penetration-depth into the workpiece. In a case where the workpiece, which is.placed between the control plates, is not bent and where the forming or forming saddles have reached their maxiumu penetration-depth to secure or support the ends of the workpiecein a manner that it can be lowered. it is also within the scope of the present invention'to provide a device for the forming 'of a long workpiece which does not require that the gripper and support means'bearranged for downward movement, but which nevertheless prevents the workpiece fromfbeing bent'duringthe forming'prointo the workpiece, then each one of control plates is a small distance from the workpiece, so that the respective end of the workpiece cannot exceed a certain extent of bending; This is of special importance since in the case of a largerbending, the turning of the workpiece would 'no longerbe possible.

ltis, advantageous to start the transforming move mentafter the turning movement or to perform both movements simultaneouslysinceit is possible that the workpiece is-more or less stuck on the lower forming saddle after a formingprocess; During rotation, the workpiece. can be removed from the lower forming saddle without difficulty.

Thelonger the control plates, the better are the effects of control, i.e., the smaller is the "angle of the bend; The ideallength of the control plate is the equal length of the workpiece behind the forming saddles.

For practical reasons, the control plates are, however, shorter than the workpiece.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A preferred embodiment of the instant invention is shown in the drawing, whereby:

FIG. 1 is a sideview of the press with a manipulator;

FIG. 2 is a view taken along line II-II of FIG. 1, the view looking in the direction of the arrows and FIG. 3 is a view taken along line IIIIII of FIG. 1, the view looking in the direction of the arrows.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION tail. The two forming saddles 2, 3 are arranged between two side frames 5 of the press of which only one is shown in FIG. 1.

A lower control plate 6 is fixedly attached at the lower forming saddle 2; and an upper control plate 7 is connected to the upper forming saddle 3. The two control plates 6, 7 are of equal length and are arranged above each other, extending in the direction of a long workpiece 8 which is of a rectangular cross-section and rests on the lower forming saddle 2. A free end section 8a of the workpiece 8, which extends beyond the lower forming saddle 2, when bent, rests on the lower control plate 6 during the forming. The control plates 6, 7 are elongated and have a rectangular. profile so that their area which contacts the workpiece is level. If the free end of the workpiece 8 is longer than the control plates 6, 7, vthen only a partof the free end rests on the lower control plate 6. I

A manipulator 9 of the prior art design is located at that side of the press 1 which is opposite the control plates 6, 7. The manipulator 9 is equipped with a wheeled carriage 10 which is movableon rails 11. A support 12 is provided onthe carriage 10 and is attached to the carriage 10 by means of fish plates 13 at the side away from the press 1, so that it is rotatable or tiltable about an axis 14, perpendicularly to the longitudinal extent of the workpiece 8. On the side of the manipulator 9 which is facing the press'l are provided spring means 15 between the carriage l0 and the supis known in the prior art (German Pat. No. 1,202,l l 1), so that a more detailed descripjion of jhe means for rojating and-activating the gripper is not necessary.

With the beginning of the forming of the workpiece 8, thp manipulator 9 is posijioned near the press 1 and the gripper 19 is near the saddles 2, 3. At the start of jhe entire forming operation, the largest part of the workpiece is located on that side of jhe forming saddles 2, 3 which is opposite the gripper 19. This means, that on the side of the gripper, there is only only one very short section of the workpieces, while on the other side, there is located a very large section of the workpiece. The first forming phase begins when the upper forming saddle 3 moves downwards. After the upper saddle 3 has again moved upwards, the gripper 19 is rotated by 90 by means of motor 17, so that the workpiece retains its rectangular profile during the forming. The gripper 19 is then moved one step away-from the press 1. The next forming phase can now follow.

The displacement movement of the gripper can be made in a manner whereby only the carriage is moved gradually. It is, however, also possible to permit the carriage to roll away from the press at a constant speed, whereby the gripper remains in the area during a forming phase and moves one step away from the press after each forming process. The gradual rotating and moving of the gripper can be controlled by means of a suitable port 12. The spring means 15 are lockably constructed so that the finished workpiece can be retained in a horizontal position during its removal.

A gripper-supporttube 16 is rotatably positioned and horizontally arranged in the support 12. The rotation of the gripper-support tube 16 is activated by means of a motor 17"vi a gears 18, 18a, with said motor being mounted on the support 12. The gripper-support tuge 16 extends from support means 12 towards press 1 and carries a gripper 19 which is activated by a mechanism 20 whichv is provided at the side of support means 12 opposije' the gripper l9. Jhe dpvice 20 acjivajes jhe gripper 19 by means of rods (not shown in the drawing) which are arranged in jhe gripper-support tubp..A gripper-support tubp which is rojatably arranged in asupport means 12, having a gripper 'activatable by means of rods which are arranged in a grippersupport tube,

control device in dependency on the movement of the upper forming saddle. It is also possible to use a suspendedly arranged manipulator in place of a manipulator moved on the ground.

1 It is claimed:

1. An apparatus for the forming of a long workpiece comprising a press having upper and lower forming saddles, the lower saddle being fixedly mounted, the upper saddle being movable in an upward and downward direction relative to the lower saddle, a manipulator arranged on one side of the press, the manipulator being provided with a rotatable gripping member for gripping and rotating a workpiece, means mounting the gripping member for tilting movement about a horizontal-axis, whereby a parallel displacement of the workpiece axis during the forming is not possible and the workpiece, during each forming step, obtains a bend between the grip end and the saddles, means pushing the workpiece gradually forward between the saddles so that a bend which has developed during one forming step is corrected during a consecutive forming step with the rotation of the workpiece always being made in the same direction thereby effecting a corrective straightening force on the bent workpiece during each forming step, and support means for the workpiece on the opposite side of the press, the support means includinga control plate attached to'each saddle.- Y

2. An apparatus for the forming of a. long workpiece comprising a press having upper and lower formingv saddles, the lower saddle being fixedly mounted, the upper saddle being movable in an upward and downward direction relative to the lower saddle, a manipulator arranged on one side of the press, the manipulator being provided with a rotatable gripping member for gripping and rotating a workpiece and which is capable of upward and downward tilting movement, whereby a parallel displacement of the workpiece axis during the forming is not possible and the workpiece, during each forming step, obtains a bend, means effecting relative during each forming step, and support means for the workpiece on the opposite side of the press, the support means including a control plate attached to at least the upper saddle. 

1. An apparatus for the forming of a long workpiece comprising a press having upper and lower forming saddles, the lower saddle being fixedly mounted, the upper saddle being movable in an upward and downward direction relative to the lower saddle, a manipulator arranged on one side of the press, the manipulator being provided with a rotatable gripping member for gripping and rotating a workpiece, means mounting the gripping member for tilting movement about a horizontal axis, whereby a parallel displacement of the workpiece axis during the forming is not possible and the workpiece, during each forming step, obtains a bend between the grip end and the saddles, means pushing the workpiece gradually forward between the saddles so that a bend which has developed during one forming step is corrected during a consecutive forming step with the rotation of the workpiece always being made in the same direction thereby effecting a corrective straightening force on the bent workpiece during each forming step, and support means for the workpiece on the opposite side of the press, the support means including a control plate attached to each saddle.
 2. An apparatus for the forming of a long workpiece comprising a press having upper and lower forming saddles, the lower saddle being fixedly mounted, the upper saddle being movable in an upward and downward direction relative to the lower saddle, a manipulator arranged on one side of the press, the manipulator being provided with a rotatable gripping member for gripping and rotating a workpiece and which is capable of upward and downward tilting movement, whereby a parallel displacement of the workpiece axis during the forming is not possible and the workpiece, during each forming step, obtains a bend, means effecting relative longitudinal movement between the workpiece and the saddles so that a bend which has developed during one forming step is corrected during a consecutive forming step with the rotation of the workpiece always being made in the same direction thereby bringing about a corrective straightening force on the bent workpiece during each forming step, and support means for the workpiece on the opposite side of the press, the support means including a control plate attached to at least the upper saddle. 